


Chat Blanc

by MiraculouslyTrashy



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Identity Reveal, Reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-19
Updated: 2017-12-19
Packaged: 2019-02-17 00:12:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13065084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiraculouslyTrashy/pseuds/MiraculouslyTrashy
Summary: When Ladybug reveals that her family is being forced to move away from Paris, Chat is grief stricken, becoming Chat Blanc.To save Chat from the clutches of Hawkmoth, Ladybug may have to reveal herself to the villain himself.





	Chat Blanc

"How's your evening going, M'lady?"  
Ladybug turns to see Chat walking along the roof behind her. She had found a particularly dark corner of Paris to watch that night. One knee pulled up to her chest as the other one dangles off the edge. "I thought you were surveying the east side tonight." She remarks flatly, her gaze returning to the midnight horizon.  
His brow furrows, taking a seat next to her, "I finished up and thought I'd come check on you. You kinda sounded a little off on the communicator when you suggested splitting up for patrol..."  
"It's fine, I'm fine; I just wanted time to myself tonight, okay? I needed some space to think" she turns her face away from him slightly.  
Concern becomes plain on Chats face. "Is there something you wanna talk about?" He offers.  
A tear shimmers in the starlight as it streams down her cheek. "I wanted more time. But I kept delaying and delaying and now I'm, we're, out of time..." she swallows hard, keeping her gaze fixed out over the city. "My family is moving; we're leaving Paris."  
Chat suddenly feels like he's falling; losing any sense of connection to the moment unfolding before him.  
"And I'm going to see Master Fu in the morning. I'm turning in my Miraculous." Her face is expressionless, probably as a result of previous grievances already spent over the thought of leaving, not just Paris, but also her role as Ladybug.  
She takes a breath, steadying herself. "The rent on the bakery went up. We can't afford to live here anymore. My dad got a job at a bakery in the country, five hours away." She lists the facts robotically, not wanting to give into feeling anything. She knows that looking Chat in the face would be her undoing. Those sorrowful green eyes dimming.  
She continues "I can't defend Paris from Hawkmoth, or any other threat, from that distance." She squeezes his hand, closing her eyes, "Please...don't worry about me. Please, Adrien, keep Paris safe, for me."  
He doesn't respond.  
"Please say something," her breathing becoming ragged, "Adrien!" She begs for a response, holding his hand to her cheek, she opens her eyes to see the empty husk of Chat Noir before her. She breaks down crying, as she had done a week ago, when her parents gave her the news. But this time, in front of Adrien, she was living the consequences she had gone over and over again in her head. Bracing for impact, only to end up wrecked anyway.  
He takes a long shaky breath for what seems like the first time since Ladybug dropped the news. He exhales "I, I think I need, some time." He says in a low voice. He stands, Mari letting her hand drop from his, tears still overflowing from her eyes.  
"Please don't leave me." she whimpers, "It's my last night as Ladybug."  
He takes an audible breath, "I'm sorry, I just can't." He whispers before launching himself off the roof with his staff and into the night.  
He runs. He runs to the opposite side of Paris before finally tiring out and crashing down on a roof on the East side.  
He gasps for breath, his chest rising and falling rapidly, his throat burning, before he's able to get it down to a more controlled speed.  
Only now do his feelings catch up with him, signaled by the rivers flowing from his eyes onto the roof. His whole future crumbled in a matter of seconds; leaving him a pile of rubble.  
"Aghh." He facepalms, gripping the sides of his head in frustration. 'Why did I leave her?? I'm so stupid; what must she think of me?' he mentally berates himself. 'All I do is run away.' he thinks back to when he was told his mother had passed, how he had run from home and hid himself away.  
His vision blurred from the flow of tears.  
Which may be why he doesn't see the glowing purple butterfly drift in.  
He inhales sharply; his muscles seize from his control; a voice fills his head.  
"Ah, Chat Noir. Broken hearted, Chat Noir." The deep voice of Hawkmoth reverberates along his spine. "Who would have thought that it would be your own Ladybug to bring you down to this vulnerable mess you have become before me."  
"Get out of my head!" Chat demands, on his hands and knees. He sees the black glow around his staff, still clutched in his hand. He attempts to crush it, using every scrap of will power he has left.  
"I think Ladybug already has a new taker for her Miraculous. Would you fetch it for me?" Hawkmoth croons as the black cloud engulfs Chat.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
It was Saturday.  
Marinette's alarm sounded, rousing her from her sleep. The night of restless sleep had not been able to completely evaporate the puffiness from her eyes, the pillow still wet from tears.  
"Tikki?" She asks, her voice soft.  
Tikki flies up to her, resting on the pillow next to Marinette's face. "Yeah?"  
"I'm going to miss you." She holds Tikki in her hands, pulling her against her face for a hug.  
Her eyes glisten, "Take me to the country with you; I'm sure there's some baddies out there for Ladybug to get."  
Marinette cracks a smile, "I think it would be a little obvious that I'm Ladybug if she and I showed up on the same day. Besides, Ladybug is needed here with...Chat." Her heart sinks a little, wondering if her last memory of her friend will be of him running away from her.  
"He'll come around." Tikki pats Marinette's face, wiping away residual tears.  
The previous week had been full of goodbyes. She had told Alya the news when she first found out. Alya came over as fast as she could manage, helping Marinette through the initial shock.  
After Alya, she told Nino and a couple other classmates and friends, on condition that they didn't spread the news around, especially to Adrien. She had to tell him in person.  
A confrontation she had planned so carefully, and avoided for longer than she had prepared for, resulting in last night's disaster.  
"You were the best Ladybug." Tikki caresses her face. The tears don't come anymore. Any reservoir she had left was spent last night, leaving her empty.  
"Thanks. I couldn't have asked for a better Kwami. I love you, and I'll always love being Ladybug."  
They hug again, "I'll always remember when Ladybug was you."  
Marinette prepared for the day, exhausted physically and emotionally, she maneuvered around the growing stacks of cardboard boxes in her room, before heading out to her balcony. “One last time?”  
“One last time.”   
“Tikki, spots on.” She says, lacking any of her usual enthusiasm.

She swings down onto the street. Just then, a street light falls down in front of her, nearly hitting her. She jumps backwards, looking around to find the source.  
"Leaving so soon?"  
A figure emerges from an alleyway, dressed from cat ear to toe in white leather.  
"Chat?" She feels her heart thudding in her throat.  
He taps his staff on the sidewalk as he walks out, blocking her way. "The one and only, but now, new and improved." He bows his head slightly. "I was thinking last night, 'Why don't I return Ladybugs Miraculous for her?', like a going away present? I know just where they should go."  
The streets are empty except for the two of them. "Chat, you're possessed by Hawkmoth! You have to fight it!"  
He grins, "But Hawkmoth promised he could make you stay if I gave him your Miraculous. I can't have you leave me." Real pain comes through his eyes despite the malicious grin plastered to his face.  
"I-I promise I'm not going anywhere." She sputters the lie, just trying to reach out to him. "You don't need Hawkmoth. I'm right here, I'll always be here."  
His eyes soften, but his teeth grit together. His breath catches in his throat, fighting. "You- you're... LYING!" He lashes out, pounding the ground, causing the sidewalk to crumble around him.  
She jumps back. "I didn't want to do this.” She says, poised to pounce Chat. She spies the purple glow around his staff. "Chat, you need to stop this. I don't want to hurt you."  
"That's where you will lose, M'lady. You will never leave Paris if I have any say in it!" He plants his staff into the ground, where a beam shoots up from his staff towards the sky. It creates a forcefield around Paris, no way in or out.  
"He's lying to you. He doesn't care if I stay or leave you, he just wants my Miraculous, and I bet he'll take yours too when he has the chance." She tries to reason with him, taking cautious steps towards him.  
His body obviously tenses, freezing him in place. One hand flies to his head, clutching some of his hair. "Aghh, stop it, everyone stop it!"  
She moves in closer, almost at arm's length away. "Chat, please,"  
He turns on her, "But you lied to me about staying! You'll say anything to stop me." He sweeps her legs out from under her with his staff. He points the end of his staff only a few inches from her face, keeping her down. "I thought you would always have my back; I trusted you with everything and now you're taking it all away!" Tears well in his eyes through his focused stare.  
Ladybug attempts to nab the staff, but he swings his staff upwards out of her reach. A halo of a purple moth forms around his eyes. He drifts further away, his eyes more and more distant. "You can't leave... if you're dead..." his head twitches to the side as he steps down on her torso and white chains appear and anchor her to the sidewalk.  
She struggles against them. "Chat...?" She looks up as he raises his staff upwards, over his shoulder like a baseball bat ready to swing. "CHAT NOIR! Please don't, you can't, it's me! IT'S LADYBUG!" She struggles more desperately to free herself.  
Chats eyes are wide and lost to her.  
She grows tired, gasping out one last attempt, "Chat, please, remember. It's me, Marinette."  
"'Marinette'?" Something wanes in Hawkmoths grip on Chat. The chains holding her down disappear as she leaps up to snatch his staff from his frozen hand, immediately smashing, releasing the akuma.  
She catches and releases the butterfly, ending the ordeal moments after being released from the chains. Chat nearly topples over before Ladybug catches him and eases him to the ground. The White suit is replaced with his usual black leather as he rests on Ladybugs shoulder, defeated. "I'm here." She brushes her thumb across his cheek. "I'll always be here."  
~  
"So, our Ladybug is Marinette Dupain Cheng..." he laughs darkly, stroking his own Miraculous. "Things just took an interesting turn for the better, Nooroo."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"What?! You're kidding." Marinette exclaims in the doorway of her house, clutching onto Adrien's arm as if to stay grounded.  
The smile that he wore on the way to tell her the good news became bigger as he watches her reaction. "It's all real, all right here." He waves the large yellow envelope in his hand. "I came as soon as I could."  
"What's all the commotion about?" Marinette's dad comes up behind her, "Ah, Adrien; saying some final goodbyes before we leave tomorrow?" He places a hand on Marinette's shoulder.  
He shakes his head, "No need, sir. If you'll just accept this," he hands him the envelope.  
He furrows his brow, taking the envelope and heading inside. "Sabine?" He calls out. She comes in from the other room as he opens the seal.  
"What is this?" Marinette's mother asks, looking over his shoulder. Marinette and Adrien stand closely behind with anticipation.  
He pulls out a sturdy sheet of paper, holding it up so he and Sabine can read. "Dear Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng," he reads aloud, "We at Gabriel industries are proud to be a staple of the Parisian identity along with countless other family run businesses. We, as part of the Gabriel Outreach Program want to help support those companies, and or, businesses that have also made their mark on the city for the better..." he mumbles, reading to himself the next few lines, "...We offer you this grant in hopes that it will help your business stay a part of the Parisian landscape and continue to serve the people as an icon of entrepreneurship. Regards, Gabriel Agreste." He sets the letter down before pulling a check out of the envelope, which immediately leaves him and Sabine dumbfounded.  
"So... mom, dad?" Marinette approaches them slowly, hands clutched in excited fists, "Are we staying?"  
Her dad whirls around and embraces her, "Tom and Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie is staying in Paris!"  
Her mother joins in the hug, also reaching out a hand to Adrien. He takes her hand and she holds it firmly, "How can we ever thank you?"  
He shrugs, "It was all my father's idea. Probably to make the company seem more charitable." He justifies, remembering the shock when Nathalie informed him of this new Outreach Program and that the first recipient would be the Dupain-Chengs.  
She smiles, "Either way, we're eternally grateful to you and your father."  
"Guess we gotta start unpacking now." Tom laughs as they come out of their hug.  
"I'll start in my room." Marinette chimes in, starting up the stairs.  
"Need any help?" Adrien asks, not ready to leave.  
After a quick glance at her parents she responds, "Sure. Come on up."  
Once in her room, she takes a seat on her bed, inviting Adrien to sit next to her. He smiles, "I thought we were gonna unpack some boxes" he says, taking a seat.  
"We will, but I have something I want to say first." She looks down to the carpeted floor. "Ever since we found out each other's identities I've been... less likely to admit to any...feelings that I have...for you." She pauses, judging his reaction: a slight smirk, as to be expected. "And when I found out I was going to be moving I was just stuck on the thought of how my life would change; specifically, how my life would be without you.  
"Not just you as Chat and me as Ladybug; but as you as Adrien and me as Marinette." She takes a shaky breath. Adrien takes her hand in his to steady her. She looks to him and smiles sadly, "I took you for granted and I'm sorry for everything I've put you through and I hope you can forgive me because I've realized that I love you-" She's cut off instantaneously as Adrien leans in to place a kiss upon her lips.  
She returns the kiss gratefully, a tear streaming down her cheek.  
They separate after the moment, he wipes the tear from her face and his own. "I love you too, but I think you knew that."  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
A week passes. Boxes are unpacked; life returns to normal as Marinette tells her friends of her continued residence in Paris, the only difference is that she does so with Adrien on her arm. Alya silently congratulates her and suggests a double date with her and Nino.  
Word gets around the school, finding its way inevitably to Chloe. She sneers at them from afar, but doesn't confront them on the matter, too proud to truly acknowledge it.

One day after school, Adrien takes Marinette's hand per usual as they walk home, and casually says "My father wants to meet you." He pauses, as if waiting for a reaction.  
"I've met him before."  
He holds the back of his neck, "Yeah, but not in the context of you dating me." He smiles, "I'm sure it will be quick, and mostly painless. Are you available right now?"  
She nods, "Yeah, sure. At least we both have a love for fashion design in common, and a love for you." She gives him a quick peck on the cheek as they head for Agreste manor.  
They're greeted at the door by Nathalie, who has a bit of a surprised look on her face. "Ah, Miss Marinette, welcome. Are you two here to meet with your father?" she addresses Adrien.  
He nods, "Yes, please let him know we're home."  
She nods in response before going off to Gabriel's office deeper in the manor.  
Marinette starts to fidget with her pigtail, "This will be fine, right? There should be no pressure, it's just your dad, the famous and important Mr. Agreste..." she takes deep some deep breaths.  
Adrien places his hands on her shoulders, "It is going to be fine. Right now, he's just my dad, nothing else. And he already thinks you're talented in your designs, there's nothing to be afraid of." He kisses her on the forehead.  
"Miss Marinette?" Nathalie calls as she come back into the foyer. "Mr. Agreste will see you now." Marinette and Adrien start to walk hand in hand, "No," she stops them in their tracks, "just Miss Marinette."  
He gives her hand one last encouraging squeeze before letting go.  
Her heart starts to pick up just a bit as she is guided down the hall away from Adrien. "Right in here." Nathalie leads her to a large set of double doors. "Knock before you enter." she instructs before heading back up the hall, leaving Marinette alone.  
With one last breath to steady her nerves, she knocks three times before cracking open the door, peeking in. "Mr. Agreste?" she walks in and closes the doors behind her.  
The chair behind the desk swivels around, revealing Hawkmoth. "Hello, Ladybug."   
"Hawkmoth?!" Marinette stumbles back against the door. "Where's Mr. Agreste? What did you do with him?" She demands.  
"Oh, I suggested that he step out for a moment while I do some business of my own." He takes a step closer to Marinette.  
She tries the door handle but finds it locked. She faces him, "I don't know what you want from me; I'm not Ladybug. You're mistaken." She raises her hands in defense, trying to stay cool.  
"Now, that's not what I heard the other day. Ladybug told Chat Blanc that she was Marinette, trying to free him from my akuma." He takes a step closer, almost within arm's length away.  
"That's strange, for her to say that..." her back is pressed against the doors.  
He smiles, "Well, if you're not Ladybug, you wouldn't mind handing over those earrings of yours, would you?"  
Her hands automatically fly to her ears, "Or else...what?"  
"Or else I can make sure Mr. Agreste never comes back."  
She's taken aback for a moment, her fingers lingering on the cool, smooth, surface of her Miraculous. "Where is he?!" She exclaims.  
"Only I know the answer to that. So, if I were you, I'd choose my next words carefully." He smirks, his fingers tapping the top of his cane.  
Of course she knew what she had to do, there really was no other choice in her mind. "Fine. Take them." She removes her earrings methodically, trying to memorize this moment. As she removes the second earring she feels as if a part of her soul escapes her.  
Her hand doesn't let out a single quiver as she holds out her Miraculous to Hawkmoth. "Tell me where Mr. Agreste is." She encloses the Miraculous in her fist.  
"He'll come back once you hand over your Miraculous. Not a moment sooner. I swear it." His eyes narrow, growing impatient.  
She takes a shaky breath, "Here." She opens her hand and Hawkmoth snatches them from her. She feels her heart drop in her chest, down to the pit of her stomach. Her hand falls to her side, limp.  
He palms them, inspecting them. "At last..."  
"Where's Mr. Agreste?" She states firmly, no longer patient.  
He smirks, "Don't fret, he'll be joining us shortly," with that he swirls his cane above him and smacks Marinette right in the side of her head, knocking her out cold.   
~  
"Marinette! Mari, Mari,"  
Marinette feels herself being shaken. Her head throbs as she struggles to open her eyes. A hand caresses her cheek and the bump forming on her head. "A-Adrien..." she moves her hand to take his and guide his hand to her ears "...My-"  
"I know," he goes back to holding her head, "we'll get them back, don't worry. We have to make sure you're okay first."  
She pry's her eyes open, finding herself looking up at Adrien's concerned eyes. "Is...is your dad...?"  
"Yeah, he's fine, he's with Nathalie right now. We found both of you knocked out in here when you didn't come out after a long time." He lets out a chuckle, "Thought father was just giving you a hard time."  
She attempts to sit up, realizing she's on Adrien's couch in his room. She grabs her head, the thudding against her temples intensifies. "It was Hawkmoth, he took your father; he must have heard me when I was trying to snap you out of your akuma trance. I should have seen this coming..." she puts her head in her hands.  
He takes her hands in his, making sure to catch her eye, "Thank you, thank you for saving my father." He kisses her hands entwined with his, "We'll get your Miraculous back. I promise."  
She wipes away the tears welling in her eyes, "What are you going to do? Confront him by yourself as Chat? Neither of us have met him face to face until now. How do you expect to find him?"  
"He got your Miraculous because he figured out your identity; maybe I should do the same to draw him out."  
"No!" She pulls at his shirt, "That's too risky. He could end up getting your Miraculous too and that would be it for this city!" she takes a deep breath, "We will think of something else."  
He sighs, "Fine."  
Just then, they hear a crash outside, followed by the sound of sparking electricity. They shoot each other a knowing glance before Marinette and Chat Noir were out on the streets of Paris.  
They look out and see a woman hovering above the streets, crackling with electricity. A blue glow surrounds her body as she glides down the city streets tossing cars around. sending people into a frenzy.  
"Stay here." Chat orders before kissing Marinette's cheek.  
She grabs his wrist before he can run off, "What do you think you're doing? You can't go out there alone! Plus, we have no way to capture the akuma." She pleads, knowing it won't be much use.  
"I've got to at least subdue her before she takes out all of Paris." He breaks free of her grip and launches himself towards the villain.  
He perches himself on a rooftop in front of The Electrifier. "Hey, you've really sparked my attention, how about we chat for a while?" He smiles to himself.  
She glances up at him, "Your reputation precedes you, Chat Noir." She shoots a burst of electricity his way, nearly hitting him if he hadn't jumped out of the way, down to the street. "Make this easy, give me your Miraculous and I can promise no harm will come to you or your Ladybug." She shoots a knowing look behind her to where Marinette was following close behind the action.  
He tenses, fully knowing all the worst-case scenarios that could happen in an instant; most of them involving Marinette getting harmed. "It's me you want, leave her out of this!" He warns, charging at her with his staff. He swings to knock her down but she grasps the staff with her hand, sending a shock through his system before throwing him aside.  
"Chat!" Mari rushes to his side, propping him up on the curb. His hands are shaky and his eyes are blown wide. "Chat, snap out of it" she consoles as he relaxes his muscles. She leans down to his ear and whispers, "I've got a plan..."  
He nods subtly with each word, unable to hide a hint of a smile when her plan is fully disclosed.  
"Hey Hawkmoth!" Marinette yells to The Electrifier. A purple halo surrounds her eyes as she turns around and comes down to their level.  
"Yes, my Ladybug, or shall I say, Marinette?" Hawkmoths voice echoes in their ears.  
"We'll give you what you want, only if you come in person to receive it. If you want something done right, do it yourself, right?" She prods, brushing the hair out of, a seemingly unconscious, Chats eyes. "Take this akuma back from where it came and you have a deal."  
He chuckles darkly, "Very well." And with that, the akuma leaves the affected woman and starts flying up the street where it meets up with a thin man in a deep purple suit, slowly walking their way. The woman runs off as Hawkmoth stares down at Marinette and Chat laying in the street. "I'm glad you've finally come to your senses."  
"I guess so." Marinette says before Chat springs up and shouts "Cataclysm!" before striking the fire hydrant next to them, sending a gush of water shooting towards Hawkmoth. It hits him dead on, but he keeps his balance, baring himself against the flow. He slides backwards on the road from the force. Chat leaps to catch Hawkmoth as the water stops, holding him in a lock against himself with his staff.  
"Give back the Ladybug Miraculous or else." Chat threatens, tightening his grip on Hawkmoth.  
He struggles against the staff, "Must I ask, or else what?"  
"Or else..." Marinette strides up to them, "we take your Miraculous." She grabs his Miraculous, threatening to tear it off.  
He starts to speak but cuts himself off, starting to laugh, "Eye for an eye, I see." He slowly moves his hand towards his breast pocket, taking out the Ladybug Miraculous. "Here, take it."  
She moves cautiously, carefully taking them from his hand with ease and backing away. "Let him go, Chat."  
He releases him, pouncing backwards so now Hawkmoth was a distance away from him and Marinette who was putting her earrings back in.  
"Until next time, children..." he says before walking off, disappearing behind the corner.  
Chat rushes towards Marinette, "I can't believe that worked!"  
"Neither can I..." she says before transforming into Ladybug. She ponders her thoughts for a moment. "Too easy." Her mind echoes, before she shakes it away. "I guess I'm still lucky even without the Miraculous." She declares before cleaning up the city with Chat.


End file.
